Experts are full of valuable knowledge and are ready to help with any question. Credentials confirmed by a Fortune 500 verification firm.

Get a Professional Answer

Via email, text message, or notification as you wait on our site. Ask follow up questions if you need to.

100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Rate the answer you receive.

Ask Dr. Taus Your Own Question

Dr. Taus, Veterinarian

Category: Veterinary

Satisfied Customers: 505

Experience: Veterinarian with experience in equine and small animal medicine.

74956788

Type Your Veterinary Question Here...

Dr. Taus is online now

I have a female Pekin that is 2 yrs old. Her belly has hardened

This answer was rated:

★★★★★

I have a female Pekin that is 2 yrs old. Her belly has hardened and am wondering if its possible for an egg to get stuck? She seems fine except her belly is hard & droopy. She is grazing and eating fine.

An egg becoming stuck, also known as egg binding, is quite common and can happen if the shell didn't have enough calcium in it or if the egg is oddly shaped. Sometimes you can feel the egg in the lower abdomen. However, usually the bird behaves as though it is ill or uncomfortable, refusing food and sometimes straining to pass the egg. Holding the bird over steaming water for 10-15 min twice a day and separating her from any other birds so she doesn't get picked on, as well as keeping her warm (~85 degree room or cage) can help relax the vent and encourage the egg to pass.

Other things that could cause the symptoms you describe include grit impaction in the GI tract, a mass in the abdomen, or other illness. If she does not pass an egg within the next day or two, you should have her examined by a vet to try to determine the cause of the hardness in her abdomen.

I hope this is helpful. If so, please rate me positively, and don't hesitate to let me know how I can help further.